Wear parts are commonly attached to excavating equipment, such as excavating buckets or cutterheads, to protect the equipment from wear and to enhance the digging operation. The wear parts may include excavating teeth, shrouds, etc. Such wear parts typically include a base, a wear member, and a lock to releasably hold the wear member to the base.
In regard to excavating teeth, the base includes a forwardly projecting nose for supporting the wear member. The base may be formed as an integral part of the digging edge or may be formed as one or more adapters that are fixed to the digging edge by welding or mechanical attachment. The wear member is a point which fits over the nose. The point narrows to a front digging edge for penetrating and breaking up the ground. The assembled nose and point cooperatively define an opening into which the lock is received to releasably hold the point to the nose.
Such wear members are commonly subjected to harsh conditions and heavy loading. Accordingly, the wear members wear out over a period of time and need to be replaced. Many designs have been developed in an effort to enhance the strength, stability, durability, penetration, safety, and/or ease of replacement of such wear members with varying degrees of success.